Big Sky National Monument - Stonewall, TX

Lyndon Johnson is not a president often associated with the Antiquities Act. In his term, he enlarged four existing national monuments and established another two, most of which he did only at the behest of others. The exception to this is Big Sky National Monument. Set close to his ranch in Stonewall,Texas, Lyndon used to load VIPs into the back of his Lincoln Continental and go careening across the open prairies that would one day become the monument. He’s quoted saying that he loved seeing the faces of those unfamiliar with the Texas sky, crushed under the weight of it. And admittedly, there is something magical about the skies over the Lone Star State, something countless have commented upon. It’s in every song and story the state has to offer, the wide panorama of open sky that ensures storms can never sneak up on you, that teaches you from an early age how small you are in the world. It’s only fitting that a state obsessed with size would be blanketed by an equally big sky. Previ

The Comancheria Heritage & History Museum - Dallas, TX


In 2012, the Texas House spearheaded an initiative to promote cultural diversity throughout the state and promote histories outside of those exemplified by Cowboys and Mexicans. In Dallas, this effort resulted in the Comancheria Heritage & History Museum. Comancheria refers to the empire that the Comanche once claimed as their own, encompassing large swathes of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. The museum promotes itself as a collection which explores the deep history and legacy of this region and its people.

The museum’s collection was largely donated by Samuil Vasilev, the head of a Russian manufacturing conglomerate and self-proclaimed superfan of the Westerns of John Ford, William Wyler, and Howard Hawks. His collection encompasses set pieces, props, scripts, costumes, posters, and memorabilia from a number of their films, the largest portion of which is from John Ford's The Searchers. He agreed to donate his collection only if Dallas agreed to build a new museum complex to house them. The museum, opened in 2018, was funded largely through funds set aside by the state's cultural diversity initiative.

While the collection might not entirely be concerned with the Comanche or any other Native group in Texas, the collection has been curated towards such subjects (the rest of the collection showcased in the Vasilev Gallery of the Bullock State History Museum in Austin). Among the museum's collections are displays on the numerous depictions of the Comanche in film alongside countless other displays which explore the full extent of Texas settlement and frontier life, the interactions settlers had with the Comanche, and the impact these interactions have had on the Western genre and on modern culture. 

Practicalities:

The museum is open daily except for the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and has ample parking nearby in any of half a dozen parking structures. In addition to its exhibits, the museum screens The Searchers every hour on the hour in their IMAX theater. Downstairs they have an ample gift shop and a cafe serving cold drinks, sandwiches, slices of pizza, and frybread. And if the Comancheria Museum piques your taste for some Texas beyond cowboys, be sure to check out the “Little Mexico” neighborhood being constructed in the neighboring blocks.

Note:

The Comanche Nation of Lawton, OK would like it to be made clear that they in no way condone or are in any way affiliated with the Comancheria Heritage & History Museum, and that its displays do not reflect the culture or history of the Comache people. Those wishing to truly engage with the living legacy of the Comanche are encouraged to visit the Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center in Lawton.


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